Handrail mounting means



y 1968 c. BOHLMAN ET AL 3,384,333

I HANDRAIL MOUNTING Filed March 1, 1966 25 INVENTORS IVAN C. BOHLMAN VER NON O. BOHLMAN Map m ATTORNEY.

United States Patent Oflice 3,384,333 Patented May 21, 1968 3,384,333 HANDRAIL MOUNTING MEANS Ivan C. Bohlman, 208 N. 2nd Ave., and Vernon O. Bohlman, 214 Anthers St., both of Walla Walla, Wash.

Filed Mar. 1, 1966, Ser. No. 530,969 1 Claim. (Cl. 248251) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Our invention relates to a handrail having means for attaching the same to a wall.

An object of our invention is to provide a handrail having means for attaching the same to a wall without the use of conventional Wall flanges and without using any screws or like devices which are visible after the rail is secured to the wall.

Another object is to provide handrail attachment means which makes it possible to support a handrail without securing it to the surfacing layer of the wall and in such a manner that the handrail derives the major portion of its support directly from the framing structure within the wall.

In nursing homes, rest homes, hospitals and like places where elderly persons and invalids are cared for, and also in private homes, it is often desirable to provide handrails on the walls above bath tubs and in halls and stairways and other places where they can conveniently be grasped and used by persons to enable them to avoid falls and to help themselves in moving around and in other ways. Usually these handrails have elbows on each end and these elbows terminate in flanges which are secured to the walls by screws or like means. The flanges are not pleasing to the eye and they disfigure the walls and because they are usually attached to the surfacing layer of the wall, which may be of lath and plaster, wall board, or the like, they are liable to damage and mutilate the walls and to become loose and insecure.

Our invention makes it possible to dispense with the usual wall flanges and to attach handrails directly to the framing structure within walls by normally invisible means which is strong and firmly supported and not liable to damage the wall surfacing layer.

Other objects of our invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings.

In the drawings FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary sectional view, with parts in plan, showing one end portion of a handrail and a fragment of a wall and means used in attaching the handrail to the wall.

FIG. 2 is a view in cross section on broken line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on broken line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a view in elevation, on a reduced scale, showing our handrail and a fragment of a wall to which it is attached.

FIG. 5 is a view taken substantially on broken line 5-5 of FIG. 4, showing the wall in section and the handrail partly in plan and partly in section.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view, with parts in plan, of a modified form of our invention.

FIG. 7 is a detached sectional view of a wall fitting of modified form.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

The handrail shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 comprises a main rail member 10 having shouldered end portions 11 of reduced diameter which fit within the ends of two similar tubular elbows 12 and are secured to said elbows 12 by screws 13. The screws 13 are inserted from below as respects the usual position of the elbows so the screws are normally concealed and are not visible except from below and normally are not seen by those who look at the handrail.

The means for attaching the terminal end portions of the elbows 12 to a wall 14 comprises two duplicate ex ternally cylindrical wall fittings 15 of correct external diameter to telescopically receive thereon and fit snugly within end portions of the elbows 12. A normally concealed screw 19 extends upwardly from the bottom through the part of each elbow 12 which telescopes over a fitting 15 and secures the elbow to the fitting. Each fitting 15 is of cup shape and has a perforation 16 in its inner or bottom end 17. A lag screw 18 passes through the perforation 16 in the end Wall 17 of each fitting 15 and through a wall surfacing layer 20 and is threaded deeply into a frame part, such as an upright studding 21 of the wall 14. This rigidly secures the fitting 15 to the wall. Each lag screw 18 passes through, and preferably fits snugly within and has a bearing of substantial length in, its perforation 16. This provides a construction by which each fitting will be supported approximately in axial alignment with its lag screw 18 and cannot tilt downwardly an objectionable amount under load.

FIG. 7 discloses a wall fitting of thinner material than the fitting 15. This fitting, numbered 25, can be made by a spinning process. It has an end wall 28 provided with a lag screw opening 26, preferably formed within a boss 27 of substantial length.

From the preceding description it will be apparent that each lag screw 18 and the wall fitting 12 or 25 thereon derives its main support from the framing within the wall and the handrail is not hung on or chiefly supported from the wall surfacing layer 20. Thus our invention does away with unsightly wall flanges and provides a stronger and more secure anchorage for the handrail. Also the danger of damage to the surface layer 20 of the wall is substantially eliminated.

FIG. 6 shows a modified form of our invention in which the external diameter of a handrail member 22 is the same as the internal diameter of an elbow 12 throughout the entire length of the handrail. This provides for a limited amount of longitudinal adjustment of each elbow on the end portion of the handrail over which it fits and is of advantage at the time of installing the handrail on a wall. FIG. 6 further shows two of the handrails 22 connected with each other and with a wall by a T-fitting 23. The use of the T-fitting 23 provides for intermediate supports between the two ends of longer handrails. Parts numbered 12, 14, 15, 20 and 21 in FIG. 6 are duplicates of similarly numbered parts shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 inclusive.

The foregoing description and accompanying drawings clearly disclose preferred embodiments of our invention but it will be understood that changes may be made within the scope of the following claim.

We claim:

1. In a handrail and wall attachment means therefor, the combination with a wall embodying a wall surfacing layer and upright studding; of two external cylindrical wall fittings each having a flat inner end provided with a centrally positioned axial perforation; a lag screw extending through the perforation in the inner end of each fitting J and through the wall surfacing layer and securely imbedded in the upright studding, the perforations in the end wall of each fitting being of substantial length and fitting snugly around the lag screw holding the fitting in substantial alignment with the lag screw, and the lag screws securing the two fittings to the wall in spaced apart outwardly protruding relation with the inner ends of the fittings resting against the wall, a major portion of the support for the fittings being derived from the wall studding and strain on the wall surfacing being minimized; two tubular ninety degree elbows each having one end portion thereof snugly and telescopically overfitting one of said wall fittings; an upwardly extending normally concealed screw in the lowermost part of the overfitting portion of each elbow rigidly securing the elbow to the fitting, said elbows each having other end portions which 4 are spaced outwardly from the wall and are axially aligned and extend toward each other; and a hand rail member extending between said two elbows and having its respective end portions fitting telescopically within the two axially aligned end portions of said two elbows.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,970,473 8/1934 Parker 248225 2,490,854 12/1949 Bozoti 248-25l 2,785,453 3/1957 Wentz 248225 XR 2,914,284 11/1959 Tisdall 248-416 ROY D. FRAZIER, Primary Examiner.

J. F. FOSS, Assistant Examiner. 

